Mayors back 'toll net'

By ANNE BESTON

A "toll net" across Auckland is the only way to get the city moving, says mayor John Banks.

Mr Banks and his fellow-champion of the eastern highway project, Manukau mayor Sir Barry Curtis, said a $10 billion shortfall to complete Auckland's motorways could not be paid for any other way.

Cities such as London and Oslo have imposed toll nets.

Sir Barry said tolls would have to be part of the eastern highway and were inevitable elsewhere. "The bigger regional picture I would eventually like to see is a toll net which would include all the motorways and major roads in the Auckland region," Sir Barry said.

Mr Banks wasn't "picking off roads" likely to attract a toll but said the harbour bridge, State Highway 20 being constructed through Avondale and Mt Roskill, and the eastern highway were obvious candidates.

He ruled out tolls on existing arterial routes and roads such as Tamaki Drive on Auckland's waterfront or main suburban routes such as Dominion Rd.


He believed Auckland road users would accept tolls if the Government first handed back the $700 million it took each year in petrol taxes and road-user charges. "Anything short of that and [tolls] would be a hard proposition to sell."

But mayoral contenders Dick Hubbard and Christine Fletcher disagree.

"I would have a great deal of concern about paying a toll on existing roads or structures," said Mr Hubbard.

Mrs Fletcher said she strongly opposed congestion charges on State Highway 20. "It's a nationally and regionally agreed project that is not linked to tolling."